Fragmentation bomb



NVENTOR hn @.Wheseu, Jr.

ATTORNEY Jan. 22, 1946.

J. c. wHlTEsELL-. JR

FRAGMENTATION BOMB Filed Sept. 4, 1943 Patented Jan. 22, 1946 UNI D S S FRAGMENTATION BOlWB Vania Application September 1943, Serial No. 501,202 v 4 Claims.

rlhis inventionV relates to that class of munitions known as fragmentation bombs, and particularly to improvements in the construction thereof and in the method of manufacturing the same.

One form of conventional fragmentation bomb embodies a cylindricalA tube surrounded by a spirally wound wire fragmentation element and havinfr at its nose and tail ends cup-chaped castings threadedthereto, The function of these castings is, in addition to supporting the stabilizing element and thedetonators, to provide a means for holding the spiral fragmentation element in place. contribute to .the bombs fragmentation, but, as aV matter of fact, since they overlap the ends of the cylindrical tube, tend to reduce the amount of possible maximum fragmentation.

The present invention has for its objectsthe provision of features of construction Awhich will increase fragmentation to a veritable maximum,

and an improved and economical method of construction and assembly by means of which fragmentation bombs can be rapidly and easily produced in quantity production.

With the above and other objects in View which will be apparent from the following detailed drawing, to those skilled in the art, the present invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and then claimed.

In the drawing which illustrates a suitable embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a view of the fragmentation bomb, partially in section to better illustrate the construction thereof;

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 1, but showing the bomb in the process of assembly.

Referring to the drawing in which like numerals .refer to like parts throughout the views, the fragmentation bomb constructed in accordance with the present invention embodies a tubular metal member I0 whose interior wall forms the explosive chamber, a nose end element I I for supporting a detonating device (not shown), a tail end element I2 for supporting a finned stabilizing element (not shown), the spirally wound wire fragmentation element I3, and a streamlined can la for the leading end of the bomb casing.

It is to be noted that the spring or fragmentation element I3I the individual coils of which may Such castings, however, do notV be of square, or other suitable shape in crosssection, extends for the full length of thetubular metal member I0, By' so extending the fragmentation element 'I3 for the full tube length,

the amount of fragment-ation is increased ,to a` maximum since it is coextensive with they explosive charge to be contained Within thetube ID.

The various elements described as constituting the bomb casing are so constructed as to facilitate production in large quantities by simple operations.

The metall tubular member after being cut to length is swaged down on both ends to a diameter to snugly receive the nose and tail end elements or adaptors II and I2, respectively, The nose end adaptor l I is in the form of an internally threaded sleeve and the tail end adaptor I2 is in the form of an externally threaded shouldered plug. These elements are such that they can be produced as screwvmachine products. The elements II and I2 snugly fit within the swagede dou/'n ends of the tube I I and are secured in place by are welding, as indicated by the weld metal at I5 and I8, respectively, the welding'being such as to provide an integral gas-tight connectionbetween elements Iliand I2 and the tube.

rlhe spring or fragmentation element I3, the individual turns thereof rmly abutting each other, is formed on suitable coiling equipment in two sections I3@ and |32), each tapering in diameter at one end according to the contour 0f the adjacent tube end. The coil sections I3a and I3b, as shown in Figure 3, are slipped on the tubular member I0 from its opposite ends into abutting relation. In this position the endmost turns of the coil abut the walls of the adjacent ends of the tube, the endmost turn of the section I3a closely surrounding the nose end adaptor I I, The two coil sections are then arc welded together at the adjacent wire ends as indicated at I'I in Figures 1 and 2, the excess weld material being ground or led off to present a smooth surface continuous with the coil surface. During the assembly of the coil sections I3a and I3b, the free ends may be tacked by arc welding to the tube Io to prevent unwinding or pulling away from the ends of the tube. In the case of the trailing section |35, the end turn may be welded directly to the tube I ll as indio-ated at I3 in Figure l, and the endmost turn of the leading section Ita may be welded to the adaptor II as indicated at I9 in Figure l, This tack welding may be done while the spring is under compression so that in the nal assembly the spring or ing the length of spring wire which constitutes the fragmentation element, a more effective bomb is produced with the same tube length and explosive charge as is employed in a conventional structure.

A further advantage resides in the fact that by reducing the machine work, through the' elimination of the conventional end castings, the unit cost of production is reduced.

It is to be understood that various changes may be made in the detailed construction and arrangement of parts, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, Without departing from the spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is dened by the appended claims.

. What is claimed is:

, l. In an article of munitions of the class described, a tubular member having its ends of gradually decreased diameter for containing an explosive charge, a fragmentation element comprised of a pair of axially aligned sections surrounding said member and each having axially inner and outer end portions, each section being of spirally Wound Wire and having an internal -contour at its axially outer end corresponding to and engaged with the adjacent surrounded end of saidrmem'ber, the inner ends of said sections being in contiguous relation, and means securing said inner ends together against relative movement.

2. In an article of munitions of the class dev scribed, a tubular member having its ends of gradually decreased diameter for containing an explosive charge, and a fragmentation element comprised of a pair of axially aligned sections surrounding said member and each having axially inner and outer end portions, each section being of spirally Wound wire and having an internal contour at its axially outer end corresponding to and engaged with the adjacent surrounded end of said member, the inner ends of said sections being in contiguous relation with the wire of one section rigidly secured to and forming a continuationof the wire of the other section.

3. InY an article of munitions of the class described, a tubular member having its ends of gradually decreased diameter for containing an explosive charge, a fragmentation element com-Y prised of a lpair of axially aligned sections surrounding said member and each having axially inner and outerend portions, each section being of spirally Wound Wire and having an internal contour at its axially outer end corresponding to and engaged with the adjacent surrounded end of said member, the inner ends of said sections being in contiguous vrelation .with the wire of one section rigidly secured to and forming a continuation of the Wire of the other section, and means for Y securing the outer end of the wire of each element to said tubular member to prevent unwinding thereof from said member.

4. In an article of munitions of the class described, a tubular member having its ends of gradually decreased diameter for containing an explosive charge, a fragmentation element comprised of a pair of axially aligned sections surrounding said member and each having axially inner and outer end portions, each section being of spirally wound Wire and having an internal contour at its axially outer end corresponding to and engaged with the adjacent surrounded end of said member, the inner ends of said sections being-in contiguous relation, means securing said inner ends together against relative movement, and a cup-shaped member tting over and secured to the axially outer end portion of one of said sections.

' JOHN C. WHITESELL, JR. 

